


Ace Detective

by Aerica_Menai



Series: Fandom Ace Fest Fics [1]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexuality, Asexuality Spectrum, Coming Out, M/M, ace!shinichi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-17 23:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14841059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerica_Menai/pseuds/Aerica_Menai
Summary: Set post-series when Shinichi has his body back and has figured out that he and Ran are better off as childhood friends and nothing more. Shinichi has had a crush on Kaito for a while, but he's hesitant to confess his feelings when he doesn't think he can be what Kaito needs - until, of course, Azusa-san and Kaito hit him with a clue-by-four and he decides to research how to move their relationship forward.





	Ace Detective

**Author's Note:**

> For the Fandom Ace Fest Prompt #1: Coming Out - Shinichi coming out as a demi-romantic ace.
> 
> This is only my second published fic dealing with a very personal topic, so please - constructive criticism. Many thanks and I hope you enjoy :)

Shinichi frowned darkly, stewing in his own jealousy as Kaito got overly handsy with some fan again. He knew it wasn’t his place, it’s not like he had the courage to confess his feelings or even wanted those kinds of touches from Kaito – but he did want the magician thief’s attention, care, hugs…

Shinichi jolted out of his thoughts as Kaito kissed the girl’s hand in farewell and rejoined their table. Azusa-san actually put a little sign designating it as theirs every time they walked in; it was embarrassing…but at the same time, Shinichi couldn’t help preening a bit at the thought that Kaito actually might be his, like the sign indicated – then Kaito would stop touching all those other people. Shinichi drowned a sigh in a sip of Poirot’s perfect coffee – straight black, of course. He smiled tightly at Kaito, whose smile fell a bit before his Poker Face took over. “Why so glum, Shinichi?” he crowed, slinging an arm across Shinichi’s shoulders. 

Shinichi stiffened as he smelled that woman’s perfume on Kaito’s shirt and shrugged Kaito’s arm off. “Nothing,” he gritted out, wanting to turn around and shout that Kaito shouldn’t be touching other people like that – but also knowing, deep down, that he couldn’t give Kaito what he clearly deserved: someone who wanted his touches, someone who wasn’t constantly interrupting dates or meetups with sudden deaths and mysteries needing to be solved – 

He would have continued his pity party if Kaito hadn’t suddenly grabbed his face to stare deeply into his eyes. Shinichi tried to avoid Kaito’s gaze but he could still feel Katio’s hard look, even if he couldn’t see it. “There is something bothering you, Shinichi, you just won’t tell me what it is.” Shinichi gulped. Kaito smirked and leaned close, breathing into Shinichi’s ear, “You wouldn’t happen to be jealous, would you Shin-chan?” Shinichi tried to hide his blush by flailing his arms in Kaito’s face. “That’s definitely not it, idiot! Why don’t you just go get a slice of that cake Azusa-san just put out instead of insinuating stupid things?” 

Kaito immediately perked up and started towards the cake display. “Cake! Why didn’t you say so? I’ll be right back, dear!” he sang as he headed off. Shinichi buried his face in his coffee cup again, grumbling. He saw Azusa-san sidling up to their table out of the corner of his eye. He mentally braced himself for whatever was causing her to look at him like he needed a hug.

“You know Shinichi,” she started softly, “Kaito looks at you like you hung the moon. I’m sure if you asked him, he’d stop all his flirting with other people.” 

Shinichi rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

Azusa-san retorted, “You just need to assert yourself, Shinichi-san, he’ll stop if you put your foot down!” 

Shinichi hissed back, “I really have no right to complain! It’s not like we’re dating or anything…” he muttered – perhaps a tad too bitterly, considering the pity written all over Azusa-san’s face. 

Azusa-san smiled gently. “But it sounds like that’s something you want. Don’t you think it’s time to tell him?” 

Shinichi flushed red. “N-no,” he stuttered. “I’m definitely not ready to have that conversation.” Kaito suddenly popped up from behind Azusa-san, grinning widely. 

Over Shinichi’s incoherent attempts at denying that he had basically just announced his desire to date Kaito in front of him, Kaito smirked and called, “Well, just let me know when you want to have that conversation – I’m ready when you are Shin-chan!” Dropping a kiss on Shinichi’s now-fire-engine-red cheek, Kaito vanished in a puff of colorful smoke, leaving behind enough money to cover the bill. 

Shinichi groaned and buried his heated face in his coffee cup. “Any way I can order a cup of coffee big enough to drown in?” he weakly asked a smirking Azusa-san. 

“Nope, that would lose me two of my favorite customers – you know he only comes because our coffee’s your favorite. You’re going to have to figure out how to talk this out like any other person. Best of luck!” she cheered, as she picked up the money and headed off to the cash register. Shinichi dragged himself out of the store and back home – this was going to take some serious mental preparation. Time to research. 

***

Sitting in front of his computer, Shinichi took a deep breath and googled, “doesn’t want to have sex.” He got a bunch of articles about how couples could match their sex drives and other similar themes, but he knew that wasn’t his problem – it’s not that his sex drive had waned, rather he had never been interested at all. He tried “never wanted sex” and got slightly more promising results, articles about low libidos and possible solutions, but it’s not that he wanted to change, not really (although he wrote down a few of the suggestions, just in case he ever changed his mind). He almost missed the article titled “Asexuality: some people just don’t want sex.” But when he clicked on it, he was introduced to a whole new concept: it’s not that he was broken, or needed to be fixed, he was just asexual. And that was okay!

He started clicking through the links at the bottom of the page, links to forums and more in-depth explanations – AVEN, Asexual Awareness Week, lots of smaller blogs… Shinichi kept reading and reading, this one word opening up an entire new world of words and definitions and knowledge to help him explain to Kaito how he felt and how they could move forward, if Kaito was still interested in doing so. (He probably would be, right? Right. At least Shinichi would be better prepared for beginning another relationship, if this thing with Kaito ended up falling through.)

He sent Kaito a text, inviting him to coffee at his house the next day so he could explain himself. Kaito’s reply was entirely emojis and sparkles, as they always were, but clearly positive ones and – was that three sparkling hearts in a row?? Maybe Shinichi had a better chance than he originally thought.

***

Shinichi knew he was avoiding the topic, but he couldn’t help himself. Once Kaito was actually sitting in front of him and drinking his sugar-and-chocolate-loaded confection of a drink, Shinichi had just started babbling about a cold case he was working on and couldn’t stop. Kaito was being surprisingly patient about the whole thing, just nodding along and asking really good questions (in retrospect, he was probably getting Shinichi to relax by focusing on what he knew and loved, and damn Kaito was far too good at manipulating him, this did not bode well for their (possible) future relationship) until he asked – out of the blue – “What are you afraid to tell me, Shin-chan?” 

Shinichi paused in the middle of his sentence. “Um.” Kaito just raised an eyebrow questioningly. Shinichi opened his mouth, closed and opened it again, but nothing came out. He got out of his chair and started pacing the room, gesturing frustratedly as he spat out, “I – I don’t know why this is so hard, but – I just don’t know how to say it.” 

Kaito stood up, walked over to Shinichi, put his hand on his shoulders and stared into his eyes. “No matter what you say, Shin-chan, I will always be here. Whether it’s as your friend or something more is entirely up to you. If I’m right, there’s something you’ve been wanting to say –” 

“I’m ace!” Shinichi blurts out. 

Kaito blinked. “Um, I already knew you were an ace detective?” 

Shinichi started laughing a little hysterically. “Oh my god, of all the ways I thought you’d react, this is not what I expected.” He grabbed the stack of paper he had printed out the night before – definitions, explanations, other ace’s experiences; whatever he thought might help Kaito understand – and thrust it at Kaito. “Ace doesn’t just mean excellent, idiot, it’s a nickname for asexuality.”

Kaito started reading through the stack of papers, eyebrow rising higher and higher, and Shinichi started babbling. “I did a bunch of research last night – I’m pretty sure that I’m a demiromantic ace. I have to be friends with someone for a while before I can see them in a romantic light and I really have no interest in sex or a lot of intimate touching, I like snuggling and hugs and maybe light kissing but definitely no tongue or groping or –”

“So, the big reveal is that you’re not interested in sex?” Kaito interrupts.

“Um, it’s slightly more than that, I’m really not interested in a lot of intimacies that you seem to like indulging in – but yeah, I guess that’s the big reveal in a nutshell.” Shinichi gulped and closed his eyes, bracing himself for Kaito’s reaction. He yelped when Kaito just flicked his forehead really hard. Shinichi’s eyes flew open as his hands shot up to rub at the hurt spot – wow, Kaito was really, really close. “You’re the idiot, Shin-chan, if you really thought I cared more about sex – or what did you call it, intimate touches? – than about you. You’re still your amazing self, Shinichi, and I’m more than happy to be dating you with whatever boundaries make you comfortable – and we can figure those out as we go.”

With that, he moved Shinichi’s hands and kissed his forehead better. Then there were lots of other kisses. And snuggles. And uncomfortable but important conversations. It was everything Shinichi had dared to dream of, and more.


End file.
